Major expansion will double TS Trim space

TS Trim will nearly double its manufacturing capacity with a new addition at the company's 6380 Canal St. location.

The Canal Winchester Planning and Zoning Commission approved a site development plan Oct. 8 that will allow the firm to move forward with the expansion.

According to TS Trim spokesman Todd Rogers, the company hopes to break ground in November.

However, he said, officials are not ready to announce specifics of what will be produced in the new space or possible staff increases related to the project.

"We're allowing for expansion to our current manufacturing capability and hoping to have the building completed by May 2013," Rogers said. "I really can't say anything more."

Project representative Mark Headlee, of RED Architecture and Planning, said the nearly 85,000-square-foot addition will be designed to match the current 125,000- square-foot building, including the striping across the front office suite area.

"The plan is to use metal panels that are 24 inches on center, and they're smooth so they'll look just like the current cast concrete panels," he said. "You won't even notice the difference.

"The office structure on the front of the addition will match the striped masonry material that's currently there."

The new space will connect to the south side of the current structure.

A gravel fire lane to the south of the new structure was a source of contention for the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Normally, gravel drives are not acceptable, but the commission approved the drive for fire use only, pending approval of a landscape plan and suitable gates.

"We'll have the drive separated from the asphalt with a grass strip and we want gates to control access," Headlee said.

"We're doing gravel because unused asphalt will deteriorate over time and we don't want the fire trucks to get stuck."

TS Trim operates a family health clinic for employees in the facility now and, according to Rogers, the company may include a new walking track that employees have been requesting in the green space to the east of the new structure.

"We want to control access to that drive because we have an on-site clinic with children and families coming and going that we don't want exposed to the truck traffic," Rogers said.

The next step for the company before breaking ground will to gain approval of the landscaping plan, flood plain certification and any variances.